Bootgirl Power: Interview with Perry Hardy (Issue #5)

The "Bootgirl Power" interviews accounted for most of the content in Issue #5.  A diverse cross section of skinheads were all asked the same questions about the role of females in the cult today -this is one interview from that article.    

Perry Hardy is the current bass player for The Templars, and also the original fanzine editor of Carry No Banners Fanzine and is also co-author of the book “Skinheads: A Guide to an American Subculture” which is out on shelves now!

Perry putting the "Ace" in bass face.

Subculture Spirit: Do you think that women typically play different roles than men in the skinhead scene?

Perry Hardy: I think women generally play roles that are more behind-the-scenes: photographer, zine writer, promoter etc. You don't often see women playing in skinhead bands and when they do it's usually the bass. You almost never see female guitarists or drummers. Antonella from Klasse Kriminale is one notable exception. I remember a Spanish oi band called the Ruin Bois who had a female drummer but that's about it. There are some bands with female singers but even those are rare.

S.S: Why do you think it is that women have historically not been as active as men in terms of playing in bands, publishing fanzines, organizing concerts, and otherwise participating in the scene?

P.H: I think women are more active in some roles than there are in others. As I said above, they are definitely less active when it comes to playing in bands. Oi! is an aggressive masculine musical style so I'm sure many women might be intimidated. I think the whole skinhead culture, with its history of violence and its aggressive hyper-masculine appearance, is intimidating to many women. It takes a special kind of woman to be a skingirl and an even more special one to really make her presence felt in the scene.

 
S.S: How do you feel about the ways in which women are portrayed in the skinhead scene?

P.H: They seem to be valued more for their appearance than for what they can contribute to the culture as far as intellect which is a shame really. Look at the proliferation of skingirl photobooks for example , then go to a gig and see how many women you see up on stage. I love a hot skingirl in a mini-skirt and fishnets as much as the next guy, maybe more, but I think we need to create an environment where females are valued as much for their opinions as much as their looks. I don't notice a lot of blatant sexism in the skinhead subculture, but a more subtle variety is definitely there.

 S.S: Do you think that the roles of women are changing in the scene?

 P.H: I think the roles of women in the scene are changing and for the better. I've been involved in this subculture since the 1980s and compared to back then there are more women getting involved in the scene on a deeper level. There are more women in bands, more writing zines, organizing gigs, DJ-ing etc. Sexist comments and behaviour seem to be less tolerated, in most places at least, which has no doubt helped the process along.

S.S: What do you hope for the future in terms of women getting involved in the skinhead scene?

 P.H: I remember an old George Marshall quote where he said something like skingirls are the best thing about the cult and the worst thing is there aren't more of them. I totally agree with that. I would love to see more female involvement in all aspects of our culture, especially in roles that have mostly been reserved for males up till now. ■